PART TWO: MAKING FACTION WARFARE GREAT
REWARDS AND INCINTIVES
To preface this
I, like many others, really wanted unit MechBays in this game. Where units could loan mechs to be used. I believe I heard or saw something where PGI said that’s just not really possible. Okay. That sucks, but there are other things we can do with a similar effect to that.
Here is where I think options exist for UNIT REWARDS AND MECH FUN!
This is a lot. I understand. Please consider this as a MAJOR STEP toward long term stabilization of Faction Warfare, and its prosperous future.
TLDR to start;To the Heart through the Stomach
(The Whole Enchilada)
PART ONE
- Allow units to donate a total of 5-20 million C-bills to pilots (number of pilots able to receive bonus uncapped) in their unit. (Pilots may only receive a total of 5-20 million c-bills a week from Unit Coffers.)
- OPTIONAL: Starting now - Hard Limit the amount of C-Bills able to be donated to ANY UNIT regardless of size to (say... 50-100 million C-Bills) a week. Units should always have something to work for, and now that this money is spendable – it should absolutely be something that needs to be worked for. This also further limits/prevents account liquidation abuse.
- Pilots must spend at least 25 Million C-bills before they are permitted to donate to their unit. This is to prevent players form using cadet bonuses as a means of gaming the system.
PART TWO
- Introduce a Unit Inventory where units can store and donate (to their members) FW EARNED Tech.
- Add in a FW Black Market with a limited and rotating weekly supply of goods for sale to ALL UNITS. All tech bought this way is donatable to players in unit. All tech costs the unit 2-3 times normal cost.
- Add Faction/Alignment Based CACHES (Supply drops). These can work similarly to the current existing Supply Drop framework but are for UNIT INVENTORIES and behave differently depending on if you are a mercenary or loyalist. For more see explanation.
PART TWO BREAKDOWN
STEP ONE (UNIT INVENTORY): Unit inventory gives units a way to buy, sell, store, and use equipment gained over the course of their battles together. This can be used to donate to pilots in unit as a reward for their services, and to further aid pilots filling new dropships.
- Can store donatable BattleMechs – mechs can only be given to members in unit, and only through the unit.
- If a unit member is selected to be given a Mech, they must first ACCEPT the mech given to them. (Mechbay Slot Reasons)
- Can store donatable weapons, engines, and equipment.
- Can donate weapons, engines, and equipment to pilots in unit.
- Members cannot donate weapons, equipment, or mechs to a unit. Unit Items can only be gained via the following pathways presented next. (Earn the stuff by playing or participating in FW).
STEP TWO (RETURN OF THE BLACK MARKET): A Black Market should be introduced so that units have the ability to purchase mechs and equipment with their unit coffers. This equipment should exist as a LIMITED AND ROTATING WEEKLY SUPPLY, and ALL EQUIPMENT PURCHASED THIS WAY SHOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN ITS ORIGNAL VALUE. Meaning that if units wants new mechs and equipment to GIVE their guys, they MUST check the game each week to see what’s new. This brings in ACTIVITY and a special kind of feature that keeps things interesting and different.
- Add a Black Market to FW.
- The Black Market has a limited supply of Mechs and items in it. (Supply levels are equal for one unit to the next) (Recommended a low number of Mechs per type… say 6 IS Mechs and 4 Clan mechs every week).
- The Black Market randomly rotates its weekly supply, similar to Xur in Destiny.
- Items Bought here are 2x-3x more expensive than “normal”.
- Items sold on the Black Market should be reduced in price compared to that of standard buying and selling for individual pilots.
- HEAVY RECOMMEND: Do not include hero mechs here. Let pilots get their own.
- OPTIONAL: Certain pieces of gear are discounted to 1.5x price depending on loyalty status of originating faction.
STEP THREE (THEMED UNIT SUPPLY CACHES): Create a UNIT CACHE DROP system. The drop bar gets easier to fill and the system increases the chance of rare caches depending upon your units existing LP/Standing with a faction, or performance in game. The Caches are different between MERCENARIES and LOYALTISTS! (WE DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ COCKPIT ITEMS – GIVE US CASH AND GUNS!)
MERCENARIES: Receive LARGE sums of UNIT COFFER C-Bills, and a very marginal amount of tech. Rare supply “donations” may contain a mech of some kind based on the faction you’re fighting for. We’ll get our gear on The Black Market!
LOYALISTS: Don’t get much if any money but get a TON of equipment and weapons. Regularly see decent light/medium BattleMechs. Rare Drops will contain a highly rated Heavy or Assault class mech for your unit. All tech based on which faction you’re with. Who needs a Black Market when you’re a true enlisted loyalist!
- The Match Score of all playing Unit Members is used to push the reward bar.
- This could use LP/Merc Equivalent to determine how long much match score is required to fill a reward bar
- This could use LP/Merc Equivalent to determine how likely you are to receive a RARE/ULTRA RARE cache.
- This system gives something each week for just playing and doing your best in FW.
- This system is a way to differentiate and truly choose between Loyalist and Mercenary.
- Everyone is a winner, without actually always having to be the big dog at the very top.
Potential Questions FAQ- No, this system doesn’t replace the MC rewards for taking planets.
- Yes, you can still buy and use YOUR OWN MECHS normally to use in Faction Warfare.
- This system allows Units to be rewarded easier, faster, and always.
- This system allows UNITS to reward their player-base.
Closing statement:
The problems units experience after a while is that they feel like they truly aren’t rewarded for their efforts– and just REALLY GOOD units are. I’m a huge purveyor of GIT-GUD Brand Encouragement. None of that rhetoric matters if people don’t feel reward even for their efforts, which may be huge for them.
Combat for its own sake can and does eventually grow old. Being, and feeling rewarded DOESN’T. Everyone should feel rewarded for their own time and hard work.
This will be a lot of work, but I feel like a lot of work is what’ll be needed regardless.
Rewards.
Rewards are the way to bring back activity and interest (Check your events for proof of this) Rewards are what you get for your time.
Meaning.
This better provides and defines differences between Mercenary or a Loyalist. Are you and your unit just in this for a huge check? Or are you in this for your homeland and being given the tools you need to never see it fall?
Unit Involvement.
All of this has been about units if you’ve paid close attention. Nothing in here, or in any of my posts has been about giving better rewards to solo players. This should entice the lone wolf to consider joining a group and being rewarded for it. It’s a carrot on a stick for solo players to join a unit, without beating them with that stick.
Every week is different.
This is a way to keep activity constant, and fun. People will WANT to log in to see whats waiting for them. The ideas presented here deal in this.
Every Battle has a different outcome.
More than just on paper, you are given something for the fight you entered. You can SEE what you’re given for your time and USE it.
Thank you for reading this!
This will be my last suggestion post in this thread.
I hope it serves you all well and look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
-Vectoron
(Edits for spacing and grammar).
Edited by Vectoron The Black Minister, 04 January 2019 - 09:16 AM.